


Cat Scratch Fever

by tfw_cas



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Blow Jobs, Castiel/Dean Winchester First Time, Cats, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Jealous Castiel (Supernatural), M/M, Misunderstandings, Photographs, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-06 23:46:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20515490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tfw_cas/pseuds/tfw_cas
Summary: Dean Winchester loves cats. He’d love to have one of his own, but for the fact his angel best friend Cas hates them, and it seems the feeling is mutual. When discovering an adorable stray kitten, he makes arrangements to keep him safe. Yet what follows is a tale involving subterfuge, misunderstandings, jealousy, and long-buried feelings being brought into the light. Who would have thought a scruffy little furball, named for a scruffy nerf-herding scoundrel, could be the catalyst for change in Dean and Cas’s relationship?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks and admiration to Gabester-sketch for the truly gorgeous art. I love it so much, and have really enjoyed working with you on this. 
> 
> To see more of her wonderful art, here is a link to her [tumblr](https://gabester-sketch.tumblr.com).
> 
> Also, love and thanks to [Emblue_Sparks](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emblue_Sparks)  
and [Eyes_of_a_Tragedy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eyes_of_a_Tragedy)  
for the beta'ing, encouragement, support, and most importantly, for weeding out my Britishisms. You guys are the best.
> 
> Finally, thanks also to the mods of the CasDean FlipFest. This has been a fun, smoothly-run challenge, and I've really enjoyed being a part of it.

Dean Winchester loved cats… he really loved them. If it was up to him, the bunker would be full of them, but unfortunately, it was also occupied by his brother Sam, and their friend, Castiel. Not that it was unfortunate that he shared his home with them, just that it meant that getting a cat was out of the question.

Sam was bad enough; "who would take care of it when we're on a hunt?" was one of his main objections. He had a point, but surely they could have found a way around that problem. 

However, the real stumbling block was Cas. The angel loathed cats with a passion. If one came within six feet of them, Cas would back away, angel blade at the ready. When one got close enough to rub against Cas’s leg, Dean had to stop him from smiting the unwitting creature.

“It is a demon,” Cas had insisted, glaring angrily as Dean hurriedly shooed it away.

“You know it’s not,” Dean argued. “We’ve met actual demons, and they are not cute fur balls, are they?”

Cas looked at the cat as it retreated, visibly relaxing as it got further away. “Well, no… but cats are not cute either; they are evil. When I tried to pet one it scratched me for no reason, and even though angels cannot get sick, if they get too close I start to sneeze, and itch all over. Last week when I was on my own on the not-actually-zombie, but in fact mischievous-witchcraft case, a cat scratched me and I swelled up. I had to call an ambulance because I did not know what was happening. It was scary, Dean.”

Dean did not want to think about Cas swelling up, not when the angel was standing next to him, anyway. That kind of fantasy was for the privacy of his own room.

“What else could do that to an angel, other than a demon?" Cas continued, scratching his arm, seemingly absent-mindedly as he spoke, adding, "also, as you know, I am able to converse with any creature in the universe - but not cats. They absolutely refuse to communicate with me.” He pouted, which under different circumstances would have had Dean thinking all manner of inappropriate things.

“Are you serious?” Dean asked incredulously. “Why didn’t you just use your grace to mojo the symptoms away? And I’ve seen you smite two demons at once without even batting an eye, but you’re gonna let a cat get the better of you?”

“Not _ a _ cat… _ all _ cats.” Cas said, turning his glare on Dean now. “And they’re not “getting the better of me”, I would just be happier if they stayed out of my way. And by the way, I tried to use my grace, but it seems it is ineffective on cat allergies that should not even be happening.”

“Unbelievable.” Dean shook his head sadly, and resigned himself to living in a cat-free bunker. Maybe this was one battle he just wouldn’t win.

Then, when Jack became a permanent resident in the bunker, Dean began to wonder if it might be possible once again. Jack seemed to have an affinity with all animals, and if Dean could persuade him that a cat would be the perfect pet, it would be two against two. However, after thinking on this some more, Dean decided that trying to influence Jack in this way was not very fair on the young nephil. He was so eager to please, he would surely go along with anything Dean asked him to, even if he didn’t actually agree with it.

No… Dean would just have to be satisfied with doling out scratches and cuddles whenever one approached for affection; it was the closest he would get to having one of his own. Oh… and he watched endless cat videos too. Apparently there really was something else he could use the internet for, other than porn.

So, Dean had fallen into the habit of offering pets to cats that he encountered while out and about. Sometimes it was just a little pat on the head, and other times the cat would get so friendly that he’d easily spend half an hour with it. Occasionally he would even try to cuddle the damn thing… although they weren’t always as willing as he was.

~~~

On this particular day, when Dean was off on a case by himself, he stopped to make friends with a scruffy little brown kitten. The adorable thing seemed to be a stray; no collar, clearly underfed, and jumpy if Dean moved too suddenly. Dean should have been on his way home immediately, but it must have been close to an hour before he could tear himself away from the cute little creature.

Trying not to feel too upset about leaving his new friend behind, Dean made his way back to the Impala. That definitely wasn’t a tear in his eye… oh no; and he didn’t have a lump in his throat either. How lovely would it have been if he could bring the kitten back to the bunker, and be met with happy smiles rather than irritation, Dean thought grumpily. 

Firing up the engine, Dean was about to pull away when his sad musings were interrupted by a frantic meowing sound. He looked out of the window, and there on the sidewalk, staring at him adoringly was the kitten. 

_ Shit_. How could he leave it alone now? Obviously it had followed him because it had no one else, and that was all the motivation Dean needed to open the car door and scoop the furball up, into his arms.

“Hey there, little cutie. So… now what do we do?” Dean stared back at the kitten, as it began to purr loudly, and rub the back of its head against his chin.

Dean was done for… he was going to have to keep it now. But there was no way he could bring it inside the bunker. Ridiculously, Cas seemed to have developed an allergic reaction, so it would be too risky to keep it in the same building. He was going to have to come up with a solution quickly if he didn’t want the poor little thing to be turned away by his miserable-ass family.

The cat didn’t seem to have any answer to Dean’s question; all it was interested in was snuggling into Dean’s chest, then settling down in his lap. Well, that wouldn’t do, would it? Dean was pretty sure that driving with a kitten in his lap was a seriously bad idea. 

Reaching over to the duffel he had put on the front passenger seat, Dean pulled out one of his plaid shirts, and made a kind of bed with it in the footwell. Thankfully, the cat didn’t object to being placed on it - Dean figured that maybe this was because the shirt smelled like him. Whatever the reason, he would take it as a win, and he started the engine once more and set off back towards the bunker. Hopefully he would think of something on the way.

By the time Dean and his companion had reached the next town over from Lebanon, Dean had the makings of a plan. On the other side of town from the bunker, he had noticed an abandoned shed-like structure, with only half a roof and its two windows were broken. But it was neglected enough that Dean was pretty sure he could keep the cat there safely, without fear that anything bad would happen to it. He would buy some supplies, make it as clean and secure as possible, and visit every day. It wasn’t completely perfect, but he was satisfied that things would work out as well as he could hope for.

Dean pulled up outside the largest store in town, then hesitated for a moment, while looking down at the cat. After circling a few times, it had curled up in a ball and stayed put for the entire journey, and Dean was very thankful for that. Now, it was gazing up at him, obviously wondering what he was going to do. Dean didn’t want to leave it alone in the car, but he had no choice; he would just have to grab the things he needed as quickly as possible.

He petted the cat lightly on the head and made what he hoped were soothing noises, before scurrying out of the car and practically running into the store. Ten minutes later - yes, Dean was that fast - he was back out of the store with what he needed. He had a pet carrier, food bowl, water bowl, plastic fork, a shitload of cat food - in cans and boxes - a couple of toy mice, and a collar. He didn’t have a name tag to attach to the collar, but he didn’t even know the cat’s name, so it would be kind of pointless at this stage.

As Dean approached the car with his shopping cart full of purchases, a thought began to grow in his mind. _ He was going to have to name the cat_. It was a weird feeling, as was the realisation that he had never named anything in his life before. He had never had a pet before, or a child either. Well… Jack was kind of his son, but his mom had chosen his name. And once upon a time he had been the closest thing to a dad that Ben had had in his life, but again, he was named by his mom. 

Then of course there was Sammy, his pain in the ass little brother. The truth was, growing up, Dean had been more of a parent to his brother than his dad ever was. Dean didn’t resent it - not much, anyway - because if he hadn’t stepped up to the plate, Sam’s childhood would have been even worse than Dean’s. Barely realising that there were tears in his eyes, Dean wiped them roughly with the back of his hand. 

_ Dammit_.

Didn’t Dean deserve this? Something to love… to give his affection to? It wasn’t much to ask, was it? 

Dean peeked in through Baby’s window, and was met by two frightened little eyes. As soon as the kitten saw him, it clawed at the window, trying to get to him. Dean opened the door, and it practically jumped into his arms, purring and rubbing against him. He could feel the tears prickling at the back of his eyes again; overwhelmed suddenly by the love he felt for the adorable little creature. 

How in the hell was he going to be able to leave it alone in its new home? It wasn’t going to work, this plan of his, was it?

As he took the items from the cart and placed them inside the car, Dean frantically racked his brain, trying to think of an alternative solution. He returned the cart, then climbed back into the driver’s seat, when it suddenly hit him. He had no idea if this would work, but it was better than leaving the poor thing all alone in that abandoned, god-forsaken, wreck of a building. 

Putting his shirt into the carrier, then placing the kitten on top of the shirt and closing the carrier door, Dean drove off full of hope that his legendary charm would work.

Dean pulled up outside the bar, cut the engine, took a deep breath, and got out, clutching the carrier in his hand. “Best behaviour,” he said to the kitten, before striding purposefully into the joint.

Thankfully, the person he was looking for was behind the bar. 

“Dean!” Carly said excitedly. “Good to see ya. What’re you having?”

Carly reminded Dean of Pamela. The hair was bleached blonde, but apart from that… she was sassy, feisty, and her wardrobe was remarkably similar to his sadly departed friend. No wonder he’d had that vividly realistic dream about Pamela, after Michael tried to keep him locked away in his own mind.

“Hey Carly. Nothing to drink for me, I’m driving.” Dean held the carrier up so that Carly would see it. No point in beating around the bush; this was what he was here for, after all.

“Just thought you would drop in to say hello, huh?” Carly’s words slowed as she spotted what Dean was showing her, and she raised her eyebrows in question.

“Er, no… not exactly.” Dean admitted. “I’ve got a favour to ask.”

“No. Nuh uh.” Carly shook her head. “And don’t turn those sad eyes on me Dean Winchester. It won’t work.”

“Wait… would you just hear me out? Please?” Dean pleaded. “I’m not exactly asking what you think I am.”

Carly looked confused. “Okay, handsome. I’m all ears.”

Dean took another deep breath. “Okay, here’s the deal. This little stray followed me back to my car, and I couldn’t just ignore it. I mean… look at its face.”

“It’s quite cute, I guess,” Carly conceded, with a sceptical tone.

“Yeah,” Dean agreed. “So, anyway, I can’t bring it home because Cas is allergic. Stupid angel. And Sam said we can’t have a pet because who will look after it when we’re away.” He frowned, and sighed.

“Did you just call your friend - who’s hot-as-fuck, by the way - an angel?”

“Yeah, but that’s because… er…” _ Dammit_. Dean really walked into that one, and he had no way of explaining it.

“Well it doesn’t bother me, so don’t get your panties in a twist, okay? Although I wouldn’t mind getting my hands on that ridiculous trench coat and pulling him in for-”

“Ooookay,” Dean interrupted. He did not want to hear what Carly would like to do to Cas, thank you very much. His feelings for Cas were confusing enough, without having the mental image of him and Carly getting down and dirty. Oh lord… Dean could feel an unfortunate reaction in his pants, and his palms started to sweat. He sat down on one of the barstools and tried to focus.

“Are you even listening to me?” Carly asked.

“Hmmm… what?”

“I asked you what you need me to do.” Carly looked at Dean curiously.

“Oh, er… right.” Dean coughed awkwardly. “I want you to take care of him… but I will visit every day… except for when I’m away. I will pay for everything… all his food and supplies. You just have to give him somewhere to sleep. And pet him sometimes.” He opened the door of the carrier and reached in to lift the kitten out and hold it toward her. “How could you resist this face?”

Carly’s features softened. “Y’know, underneath all that alpha male crap, you’re a big ole softy really, aren’t you?”

“Don’t tell anyone.” Dean winked, and Carly smiled back flirtatiously.

There was a time when he would have been all over that, but these days things were, well… complicated in that area of his life.

“You’re gonna visit everyday?” Carly asked.

“Yep, I promise I will. If that’s okay by you, of course.”

“Hmmm…” Carly pretended to think about it. “Getting to spend time everyday with you. I might just be able to deal with that.”

Dean smiled one of those smiles that he knew turned women - and some men - to jelly. It was a bit underhanded, as he had no intention of doing anything with Carly, but he had to make sure the cat would be okay.

“I can’t exactly say no, can I?” Carly pouted. 

It didn’t look as good on her as it did on Cas, and _ woah… _ where did that thought come from?

“Thanks Carly, you’re the best.”

“Oh, you have no idea, honey.” Carly batted her eyelashes, and Dean suddenly wondered if this was such a good idea after all. She took the kitten from his hands, and it snuggled against her. “What’s your name, huh?” she enquired of it, then looked to Dean for the answer.

_ Oh yeah, a name_. As Dean was about to say that it didn’t have one, the perfect answer came to him. “Solo. His name is Solo.”

“As in Han Solo?”

“Of course. The baddest, coolest dude in the galaxy.”

Carly examined the cat and laughed. “I don’t see the likeness," she said, clearly amused. 

“Okay, let’s say it’s because he was all alone when I found him, and he had no one to rely on but himself.”

“Damn. You sure know how to tug on those heartstrings, don’t ya?” 

Despite her 'take no shit' attitude, Carly was obviously smitten, if the way she was rubbing her nose against the cat's was any indication.

“Well.” Dean got to his feet and clapped his hands together softly. “I’ll leave you two to get acquainted?” 

Carly didn’t respond - she was too busy playing with Solo on the counter, and rubbing his belly. It was probably just as well it was her bar, or she would most certainly get into a whole load of shit for that kind of behaviour.

"See you tomorrow then," Dean said, before making a hasty exit. He wasn't going to hang around, and wait for Carly to change her mind.

When Dean arrived back at the bunker, he made a show of acting like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. He had decided not to mention to his family that he had adopted a kitten, and that it was being cared for by Carly. Sam would criticise Dean for taking advantage of Carly’s good nature, and Cas would be shitty about Dean loving something so demonic. Jack would love Solo, Dean was certain of that, but with the other two being so against the idea it was pointless to dwell too much on it. 

Dean shook himself out of his thoughts, parked baby in the garage, and entered the bunker through the front door.

“Hey Dean.” Sam lifted his head from whatever book of lore he was reading and smiled as Dean descended the staircase. “How did it go?”

“Just a routine salt and burn, the usual crap. Yeah… definitely nothing out of the ordinary happened.” Dean suddenly felt nervous, like he had given something away, and began fiddling with one of the books laid out on the table.

Sam narrowed his eyes at him for a moment, and made a suspicious face. “Oookay, Dean. I’ll take your word for it.”

Cas had walked into the war room then, and he gave Dean one of those little smiles that warmed him inside. “Hello Dean,” he said, then turning to Sam, asked “take Dean’s word for what?” 

“That nothing out of the ordinary happened on Dean’s case. It was all routine, apparently.” Sam replied.

Stepping closer to Dean, Cas gave him one of those intense stares he seemed so fond of. “W-was-” He stopped mid-question and suddenly sneezed loudly and forcefully. With a look of utter surprise on his face, he tried again. “Why-why…” Another violent sneeze was forced out of Cas, and he stood shaking his head in bewilderment. 

_ Dammit_. Dean realised that he must be covered in cat hairs, and that they were the cause of Cas’s sneezing. He needed to get far away from the angel, and quickly, before he also realised what was making him sneeze.

“Just gonna… dump this in my room.” Dean held up his duffel to show Sam and Cas, “then grab a shower.” He slung the duffel over his shoulder, and hurried away. 

Once he was out of sight Dean stopped to eavesdrop on what his brother and the angel had to say. Cas sneezed again, and Dean heard Sam ask, “Cas? You alright, man?”

“I-I don’t know. This is not normal,” Cas replied, before Dean slunk off to his room, feeling guilty as hell.

Dean knew now that he needed to be a lot more careful if he wasn’t going to get caught, and he made a mental note to bring a change of clothes with him whenever he visited Solo. If he kept his cat-hair covered clothes away from Cas, maybe there wouldn’t be anymore sneezing.

  
_ Hehe, good plan_, he thought to himself. What could possibly go wrong?


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, when Sam looked through the fridge and lamented the fact that there was no salad left, Dean saw the perfect excuse to escape and go visit Solo. He'd been feeling antsy all morning, and Sam, Cas, and even Jack had given him concerned looks at his restlessness.

"You're out of salad?" Dean jumped to his feet from the chair he had been sitting in at the library table, staring into space. "Man, that sucks. I'll go to the store and get you some."

“Really? Why… why do you want to go to the store and get food for me, when you already have a fridge full of bacon?” Sam stared at him curiously.

“Do I need a reason to do something nice for my brother?” Dean asked defensively.

“No, but-”

“Well, okay then,” Dean interrupted. “I’ll be back with a load of green shit.”

“Okay.” Sam rolled his eyes, then gave Cas a look.

“I'll come with you,” Cas offered, standing up and walking towards him.

“I think I can handle buying salad on my own. Jeeze.” Dean rolled his eyes dramatically, then made his way to the garage before there could be anymore discussion on the matter. Thankfully, he’d had the foresight to sneak out of his room last night and put some spare clothes in the trunk; it might have looked a little strange if he had gone to his room to fetch them when he was supposed to be going on a shopping trip.

Dean set off for the bar, practically burning rubber as he sped away. He was really looking forward to seeing Solo again, and getting a snuggle from the little furball. When he walked into the joint, Dean could see that Carly wasn’t there; instead, behind the bar was a guy he had seen once or twice before.

He smiled at Dean and said, “Dean, right? Carly said to go through to the back.”

“Thanks, buddy,” Dean said, making his way over to the door that led to Carly’s living quarters.

“Have fun.” The guy - Bob, if Dean remembered correctly - winked at him suggestively.

Dean thought about telling him that he was barking up the wrong tree, but he decided to just let it go. What did it matter if he thought Dean and Carly were bumping uglies? He opened the door and came out into a living room that didn’t look like it should be attached to a dingy roadside bar. It was bright and welcoming; the light colours of the decor, and the large window looking out over an attractive little garden, created a completely different feel from the bar. 

“Carly?” Dean called out as he stepped further inside.

Carly’s face appeared through a doorway, which Dean could now see was the kitchen. “Hey Dean. Coffee?” She asked.

“Yes please,” Dean replied, looking around for Solo, but not seeing any sign of him.

“This little fella is the cutest thing.” Carly came in from the kitchen holding the kitten, adding, “I think I’m in love.”

Just then Solo spotted Dean and wriggled free from Carly’s hold to run over to him, and rub up against his legs, purring loudly. Dean bent down and picked Solo up, tickling him under the chin. “Hey little buddy, miss me?” He asked.

In response he got a nose boop from Solo. Yeah, he missed him.

There was a click, then Carly made an awww sound. “Oh, that’s just adorable,” she said, looking at the picture she had taken on her phone. 

Dean walked over and took a look too. Yep, it really was adorable. “Can you send it to me?”

“Sure thing. But I need your number first,” Carly chuckled.

_ Oh yeah_. Dean put Solo down on the sofa, took Carly’s phone and typed in his number. “You can send me any more pictures you take too.”

Carly smiled. “Any pictures, huh?”

“Of Solo. Pictures of Solo,” Dean corrected himself quickly.

“You sure?” Carly touched Dean’s arm lightly, and left her hand there while she waited for a response.

Dean rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. “Yeah. Look, Carly… I’m flattered, but-”

Carly removed her hand and backed away, palms outward. “I know, I know… you and your angel… you’re crazy in love. Can’t blame a girl for tryin’.”

“I… what?” Why did she think Cas and he were a thing? And how did she know he was an angel?” 

_ Oh, wait_. Dean suddenly remembered; yesterday he called Cas a stupid angel. This was way too difficult to explain away, so it was probably just easier to let her keep believing it. Plus, it would hopefully stop Carly from making anymore unwanted advances.

“Well… you got me. We’re, you know… in love.” It was the strangest thing, but saying those words out loud caused the hairs on Dean’s arms to raise unexpectedly, and he broke out in goosebumps.

_ Well, damn_. _ What the fuck was that_? 

Carly’s phone rang then, putting an end to the awkwardness as she moved away to answer it, then out into the garden as she talked to whoever was on the other end. When Carly’s phone conversation was over, she brought Dean the coffee she had made him, then left him to play with Solo, while she cooked in the kitchen.

Dean stayed for about an hour after that, playing with the kitten and taking pictures on his phone - including some selfies of the two of them. Eventually he had to go, and he said his goodbyes to Carly with a promise to return tomorrow, then started to drive back to the bunker before he realised that he still needed to pick up Sam’s salad.

By the time Dean had changed his clothes in the back of the Impala, gone to the store and purchased what was needed, then driven back to the bunker, he had been gone for almost two and a half hours.

“What did you do, pick it?” Sam asked as Dean walked into the bunker with as much salad as he was able to fit into two bags, as well as a six-pack of beers. 

“Haha, very funny.” Dean made a face as he answered. “I needed a drink so I went to a bar, okay?”

“You _ needed _a drink? Is something going on with you? Are you okay, man?” Sam looked concerned, and Dean suddenly regretted his word choice.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Dean waved his concern away. “I just wanted some time to myself, you know?” He held up the bags to show Sam what he’d got for him. “Now I’m gonna put this in the kitchen, if that’s okay with you?”

“Thanks man.” Sam nodded, and Dean went to the kitchen, heaving a sigh in relief. At least Sam seemed to accept his explanation, and if he didn’t he wasn’t going to push any further.

When Dean had put everything in the fridge, he turned around and was startled to find Cas standing silently watching him.

“Hello Dean.”

Dean took a step backwards clutching his hand to his chest. “Dammit Cas. I’ve told you before, don’t creep up on me like that.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Cas’s face fell, but he didn’t move. 

“Did you want something?” Dean busied himself with making a sandwich so that he could avoid meeting Cas’s eyes. He had a horrible feeling, based on nothing, that Cas would know instantly that he had been lying.

“I was just wondering…” Cas started, but then he trailed off, as if he had decided that he didn’t want to know the answer to whatever it was he was going to ask.

Dean waited for a few seconds, before picking up his sandwich and heading for the door. “Well, this has been fascinating… thanks Cas. I’m gonna go eat my sandwich in my room.”

_ What the fuck was that about_? Dean thought, shaking his head as he headed towards his room. Cas was acting so strangely.

Once Dean had eaten his sandwich he opened his laptop and connected his phone so he could upload the photos of Solo. He could feel himself grinning stupidly as he looked through them all, before putting them into a new folder. He was wondering what he should call it, when the answer hit him - Solo! 

Yeah, that was perfect, because if Sam happened to see the folder, he would assume it was porn and avoid it. _ I’m a genius_, Dean congratulated himself as he finished what he was doing, then searched for some actual porn. He found a video with a particularly athletic chick, and if he got off from looking at the black-haired, blue-eyed guy more than the girl, no one needed to know, right?

~~~

Over the next week and a half, Dean visited Solo every day; sometimes he would try to find an excuse for needing to go out for a couple of hours, and sometimes he would just leave without saying anything. He would spend an hour or two with the kitten, then after changing his clothes, he would go back to the bunker, and carry on with whatever he was doing. The folder on Dean’s laptop called Solo now had hundreds of photos, and when he was alone in his room he would look through them fondly.

There was almost a disastrous moment when Dean found himself in the kitchen one morning with his laptop open, and Jack spotted the folder on his desktop. Sam and Cas were sitting at the table discussing a case Jody had been involved in, when Jack excitedly exclaimed, “Dean! You have pictures of Han Solo? Can I see them?”

_ Oh, holy crap. _How the hell could Dean explain this?

“No!” He practically shouted. “Er…it’s not what you think.”

Sam and Cas had stopped talking to stare at them, and… thank goodness, Sam noticed the look of horror on Dean’s face, and wrongly interpreted the reason for him not wanting Cas to look through the folder.

“Jack. You remember when I told you never to look at anything on Dean’s laptop, and why you shouldn’t?”

Understanding spread across Jack’s face then, and he backed away from Dean and his laptop as if he had witnessed something extremely unpleasant.

Sam shot Dean a look of disappointment, and shook his head, whispering, “dude, don’t keep your g… your porn on your desktop if you’re going to leave your laptop open where Jack can see it.”

Dean shrugged his shoulders helplessly, grateful for once that Sam had gotten it so wrong.

“Sorry man. I wasn’t thinking.”

“Sure you were. It’s just… it’s not your brain you were using.”

Dean wanted to disagree with his brother’s assessment of him, but he knew he had to bite his tongue and take the hit. He knew that Cas was also judging him, from the way he was looking at him, but he wasn’t going to get into it with the angel too. 

Soon afterwards, he slunk off back to his room, realising that he needed to be a lot more careful. Also, he got a funny feeling that Sam assumed his non-existent porn was of guys. The way he started to say one word, then corrected himself was strange. He had no idea where Sam would have gotten that idea from.

As the days passed, Dean saw the intrigued looks Sam would give Cas, and the frustrated looks Cas gave him in return. Choosing to not try interpreting what they meant, Dean was happy in his little bubble of denial.

He should have known that just because Sam and Cas weren't asking him what he was up to, it didn't mean they weren't wondering, and plotting. As he drove away from the bunker, in the direction of Carly's bar, Dean spotted Cas's hideous excuse for a car behind him. 

Dean knew immediately that Cas was tailing him; he was deliberately keeping his distance, and as Dean slowed down, then sped up, Cas did too. 

_ Sonovabitch_. Time for evasive action. Dean accelerated suddenly, and took the first right turn he encountered. Of course Cas followed him, and Dean had to laugh at the thought that Cas could think for one moment that Dean hadn't seen him. He was determined to shake him off though. 

It took a few more sudden turnings, and Dean definitely broke the speed limit a couple of times - damn Cas's tenacity - but by the time he reached his destination, there was no sign of the angel.

When Carly saw his face, her expression turned to worry. "Are you okay, Dean? You look flustered."

"Yeah, it's just… Cas-"

"Stop." Carly interrupted. "I do not want to hear what you get up to with your boyfriend."

"I wasn't gonna-" Dean started, but Carly interrupted again. 

"Actually, on second thoughts, I do wanna know… it's really hot thinking about two attractive guys getting it on together."

Dean stared at Carly open mouthed, trying to process what she just said. Why would a woman want to hear about that? And how in the hell had they ended up discussing him and Cas and their supposed relationship… yet again?

“Nope. Definitely not doing that,” he said when he had regained some of his composure.

“Shame.” The disappointed look on Carly’s face only lasted for a second or two, as Solo appeared, and the attention of both of them was drawn to the kitten. 

“Hey little buddy,” Dean said as he picked him up. Solo rubbed his head against Dean’s chin in greeting, and his heart melted.

As was usually the way when Dean started playing with the cat, Carly made herself scarce, and Dean was left to play with Solo on his own until it was time for him to leave.

While he was driving home, Dean began to wonder if Cas would say anything about their little game of cat and mouse. Whatever happened, if Cas didn’t mention it, Dean certainly wasn’t going to bring it up.

Walking into the bunker, Dean spotted Cas immediately. He was sitting at the table reading, and unusually for him he didn’t look up or react to Dean’s entrance. Trying for nonchalance, Dean went for a cheery “hey,” directed at no one in particular.

“Did you go somewhere nice?” Sam enquired. 

“Just for a drive,” Dean answered, noticing an almost imperceptible twitch in Cas’s eye as he spoke. 

Cas still didn’t take his eyes off the page, however; Dean had never seen the angel quite as focused on research as he was in that moment. It was almost as if he was deliberately avoiding looking at Dean.

“Just a drive? Really?” Sam was clearly unconvinced.

“Er… yeah. Sometimes I wanna be alone. Me and baby… the open road. Ya know?” Even as he said the words, Dean knew how feeble his explanation sounded.

“That sounds like bull crap to me,” Sam said. “If you’re seeing someone, you don’t have to hide it. All this sneaking around is, well… ridiculous.”

Suddenly Cas was extremely interested in Dean, and his conversation with Sam; he slowly closed the book he was holding and fixed his gaze on Dean with a laser-like intensity.

Dean huffed and rolled his eyes. “Seeing someone… pfff. I’m not… why would you think that?”

“Well, let me see.” Sam held up his hand and started ticking off his fingers. “You’re always disappearing without explanation and when you return you’re wearing different clothes, you’re doing a hell of a lot more laundry, you offer to run errands for me, you’re being secretive… and weird, and today you… erm.” Sam stopped abruptly, but Dean knew what his brother almost said anyway.

_ So, he was in on Cas tailing me_. _ Good to know_.

“Look man,” Sam continued. “If you’ve got a girlfriend… boyfriend… it’s no big deal. We just want you to be happy. But I thought we were past keeping secrets from each other.”

_ Goddammit_. Why did Sam have to call him out like this? Dean was concentrating so hard on trying to come up with a reasonable answer, he almost missed the boyfriend remark. Sam and Cas were staring at him expectantly, waiting for some kind of response, so he replied weakly, “look, I’m not doing anything illegal or unsafe, okay? You don’t gotta worry about me.”

Hoping this was enough to placate them, Dean attempted to head for his bedroom. Unfortunately, Jack appeared at that exact moment, and innocently asked “Dean, where have you been? We were all wondering where you were.”

_ For fuck’s sake_. Dean really wanted to respond with something like ‘am I not allowed to have any secrets?’ But considering the devastation keeping things from each other had wrought upon the Winchesters in the past - and for Cas too - Dean recognised what a spectacularly bad idea that would be.

“I was… was just out for a drive,” Dean said eventually.

“Cool,” said Jack, oblivious to the tension in the room. “Can I come with you next time? I would like another driving lesson.”

“Yeah, sure kid… if I remember, that is.” Dean laughed pathetically, ignoring the bitchface and eye roll from Sam, and the death glare from Cas.

_ Shit_. 

“Thanks Dean,” Jack replied happily, before he left again to do whatever two year olds who look like twenty year olds do.

“Okay, if the Spanish Inquisition is finished, I’m gonna go to my room. Is that okay with you?” Dean couldn’t help the sarcastic tone that crept into his voice.

“Don’t be ridiculous Dean. No one’s stopping you from doing anything.” Sam looked pissed now, so Dean made a hasty exit, not even daring to glance at Cas. How much longer he was going to be able to keep his secret, he had no idea.


	3. Chapter 3

When Dean was ready to head off for Carly’s the next day, he felt the need to be even more sneaky than usual. If Jack got wind of him going for a drive, there was no way he could get rid of him. His enthusiasm was extremely hard to resist.

Almost as soon as Sam went for his daily run, Dean managed to slip out of the bunker unnoticed; thankfully neither Cas nor Jack were anywhere to be seen. Once he was in that living room behind the bar, spending some quality time with Solo, he had no difficulty at all in forgetting about his nosey family.

Dean played with the cat and took more photos, and as always, the time went by much too quickly. After saying his goodbyes to Solo and Carly, he went outside to the Impala, and was astonished to find Cas standing next to the car. His face was like thunder, and not for the first time, Dean was intimidated and a little aroused by him. There was something he found inexplicably attractive about Cas when he was like this; it reminded Dean of just how much power Cas really had.

“Oh, heya Cas. What are you doing here?” Dean asked lightly, hoping that Cas turning up there was nothing more than a coincidence.

“Following you,” Cas answered, in a tone of voice that gave Dean goosebumps. The angel was clearly not in the mood for beating around the bush.

Dean went on the offensive immediately. "Dude, that's not cool. You can't just follow me around."

"Sam and I were worried about you," Cas carried on as if Dean hadn't spoken. 

"I said everything was fine, didn't I?"

Cas took a step forward. "Yes, you did. But we didn't believe it. So I followed you."

"You know what? Screw you, Cas," Dean said. He was pissed now.

"Well, I believe that that is what you have been doing with Carly."

_ What_? _ Oh _… Dean shook his head vigorously. “Me and Carly? No way.”

“That’s not what Bob said. He told me that you come here every day, stay for hours…” _ Achoo_! Cas stopped mid-sentence to sneeze, and looked bewildered once again. “And when you leave you always change your clothes in the car before driving away.” Cas let out another sneeze, and he didn’t look quite as intimidating as he had before. In fact, when he wrinkled his nose, Dean thought he almost looked cat-like.

“Maybe Bob doesn’t know everything. You ever think of that?” Dean challenged, while inwardly wondering how the hell Bob knew that he changed his clothes in the car after leaving. What was he doing… spying on him?

“What are you doing in there everyday then? Would you care to explain?” Cas asked, before sneezing again.

“None of your goddamn business.”

For the first time since Cas had confronted him, he seemed genuinely hurt. His face fell, and he took a step back and turned away as if to leave. “I-I’m sorry Dean. I thought we were friends. I did not mean to-”

_ Fuck it_. Dean knew it was time to come clean, before he lost his best friend. “Wait, Cas,” he interrupted. “That was shitty of me. The truth is, I… I have a cat.”

Cas stared at Dean in confusion, the words obviously having trouble sinking in. “A cat?”

“Yeah, you know… one of those demonic creatures you hate so much.”

“I-I don’t understand. Where is it? It’s not in the bunker, is it?” Cas looked horrified at the idea.

“No. Don’t worry, it’s not gonna hurt you,” Dean sassed, trying not to laugh. Then added, “look, let me explain.” He moved to stand closer to Cas, who immediately sneezed.

_ God-fucking-dammit_. This cat allergy of Cas’s was irritating as fuck. Dean began pulling his clothes off, and it did not escape his notice how Cas stood stock still, letting his eyes roam over his torso. When he subconsciously licked his lips, Dean felt an involuntary shudder run through him.

Opening the car door and hastily reaching inside to grab a clean t-shirt from his duffel, Dean quickly yanked it over his head, then added a flannel over the top of it. Hopefully he would now be able to stand close to the angel, without the incessant sneezing.

“So yeah, I have a cat… Solo… I adopted him.”

“I still don’t underst-”

“He lives here. That’s why I keep visiting Carly,” Dean interrupted, waving his arm towards the bar, and he finally saw a spark of understanding on Cas’s face.

“Your cat is named after a character in Star Wars? And Carly gave him to you to adopt?”

Dean couldn’t help but be impressed at Cas getting the Star Wars reference, but that wasn’t what he should be focusing on right now. “Nah, you’re still not quite getting it. I found a cat when I was on a hunt, brought it back with me, but I couldn’t exactly bring him to the bunker, because of Sam and, well… you.”

Cas was squinting so hard, trying to get Dean’s story absolutely straight in his mind.

“I asked Carly to keep him here, and I get visiting rights.”

“This is why you are always disappearing.” Cas stared into Dean’s eyes, searching for the truth.

“Yep. I didn’t wanna tell you because of how much you hate cats.”

“So you and Carly are not in a relationship,” Cas said matter-of-factly, as if Dean’s words hadn’t registered.

“No. I told you.” Now it was Dean’s turn to be puzzled. “Why are you so interested in my personal life anyway? What’s up with that?”

Cas averted his eyes then, and a bashful expression spread across his face. _ Ohhhh _.

“Cas?” Dean dipped his head, in order to get Cas to look into his eyes again. “Cas? Are… are you jealous? Is that why you followed me?”

Cas stood silent for a moment, while he tried to decide on an answer. Eventually he lifted his gaze once more, to look Dean directly in the eye. “Yes,” he answered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Dean moved into Cas’s personal space, and tentatively lifted his hand to Cas’s cheek. He softly stroked the skin with his thumb, echoing Cas’s whispered ‘yes’, with a nod, as not for the first time, he found himself completely captivated by those stunning blue eyes.

Neither moved for an interminable amount of time, seemingly too caught up in the moment to want to break the spell they had fallen under.

Cas spoke first while maintaining steady eye contact, as a dawning realisation spread across his face. “You were always changing your clothes because of the cat hairs.”

“Yes.”

“And you didn’t tell Sam or me the truth because of my mistrust of cats.”

“Yes.”

“And you have no interest in being intimate with Carly?”

“No. I mean… she offered, but I wasn’t interested.”

“You were not?”

“No.”

While this exchange was going on, Dean and Cas had been inching closer, and now they were chest to chest. Dean’s heart was hammering wildly, and his breathing was becoming shallower. 

“Cas,” he whispered lowly, his hand still on the angel’s face.

Cas's unwavering stare felt like it was boring holes into him, and his breath hitched with anticipation at what he knew was coming next. 

Their lips touched, and Dean could swear he saw sparks in the moment before he closed his eyes. Dean backed Cas up against the car, and leaned into him so that their bodies were flush. He ran his hands into Cas’s hair as Cas wound one arm around his waist and with the other he tangled his fingers in Dean’s locks. Dean opened his mouth, and Cas explored with his tongue as their kiss became more needy.

Just as Dean swept his hands down Cas’s back, marvelling at the way Cas’s muscles felt under his palms, and how incredibly sexy that was, Cas broke off the kiss and sneezed. Dean had a sudden vivid memory of snuggling his face into Solo’s fur; changing his clothes obviously wasn’t enough. 

“I’m sorry Cas,” Dean offered sheepishly. “There must be cat hairs on my face.”

“Why? Why would there be cat hairs on your face?” Cas frowned at Dean with a mixture of disgust and confusion on his face.

“I, erm… I was snuggling him.”

“With your face?”

“Well… yeah.”

“But why? Why would you do that?”

“Because he loves me, and I… I love him.”

“Oh.” Cas looked like he was really trying to understand, but he wasn’t quite getting it.

“I always wanted a pet, you know,” Dean began explaining. “Sam too. But thanks to our fucked up childhood, that was never gonna happen. Did you know that when Sam was a kid he disappeared for a couple of weeks, and got himself a dog? I was pissed at him, and dad, well…” This was a distressing memory for Dean, and Cas must have sensed this; he pulled him closer, and tilted his head in that questioning way he had.

_ Damn, he was cute_.

“Thing is,” Dean continued, “even though I was mad at Sam, I got it. He just wanted to be normal for once, and that included getting himself a dog.”

“I understand,” Cas said. “Having a pet is an important part of life’s learning experience. To have something to care for, and love.”

“Well, obviously not for everyone. I mean… look at you, your allergy is super sensitive.”

As if on cue, Cas sneezed again. “I am sorry Dean. I have no idea why cats affect me this way.”

“It’s not your fault Cas. But we can’t continue this,” Dean gestured between them, “til I’ve washed, properly. So what do you say we go home, I grab a shower, and then we pick up where we left off.”

“I-I think I need a shower too,” Cas said shyly.

Dean couldn’t escape the meaning behind Cas’s words, and he didn’t want to. “Well, you know, we should probably try to save water. The environment… all that crap.”

Cas’s expression grew serious, and he shook his head sadly. “The environment is in grave danger. Most humans are either unaware, or wilfully-”

Dean couldn’t actually think of a worse moment for a lecture on the state of the planet. _ Talk about passion killer_! Thankfully, Cas stopped talking abruptly, when he realised what he was doing.

“Saving water. Yes. We should go.” He pulled away from Dean and walked around to the passenger side of the car so quickly Dean’s head spun. He wasn’t complaining though, especially when Cas wore that look of steely determination.

Dean wasted no time in climbing into the driver’s seat and setting off for the bunker. He wanted to get back to the part where he and Cas were kissing… and hopefully a whole lot more too.

When they had exited the car and were about to go inside the bunker, Dean was hit by a sudden burst of inspiration. He took hold of Cas’s hand, and twined their fingers together, then gently tugged the angel towards the door. 

Cas stopped dead, causing Dean to peer at him questioningly. “Dean. Sam might see us.”

“Yeah, I hope so,” Dean flashed Cas an encouraging smile, before a thought struck him and the smile faded. “Unless… you’re uncomfortable with this? Sorry man, I wasn’t thinking.” He started pulling his hand away, but Cas stopped him.

“I could never be uncomfortable with this,” he beamed with genuine joy etched into his features.

“Well okay then. Let’s go surprise Sam.” Dean opened the door and went in first, with Cas right behind him. Dean found that he really liked the feel of Cas’s hand in his, and he gave it a light squeeze.

Sam looked up from his laptop and smiled at them. “Hey guys. I think I’ve found us a case.”

“Not a good time Sammy,” Dean said as they came down the stairs towards him, waiting for the penny to drop.

“You’ve got something more important to do?” Sam enquired.

Dean didn’t answer, and neither did Cas; they waited for Sam to see what was right in front of him. It didn’t take more than a couple of seconds, and Dean saw the exact moment it registered. Sam’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open a little, but this quickly morphed into a smirk.

“Awww,” he said, with sincere affection. “You finally got your heads outta your asses, huh?”

Dean wanted to be pissed at his brother’s smugness, but he was too happy. He could mess with him though. “Yes, and I wouldn’t come anywhere near the showers for the next…” he turned to Cas and looked him up and down, then continued, “... couple of hours at least.”

That did the trick; Sam’s expression turned to disgust. “This is how it’s going to be from now on, is it?”

“Oh Sam, you know it is,” Dean chuckled. 

Jumping up from his chair and closing his laptop, Sam declared, “Jack and I will go check out that case. Could you at least wait until we’re outside?”

“Oh, I dunno about that,” Dean started. “We’ve got a lot of wasted time to make up for.” He and Cas hadn’t actually discussed that, but he felt a sense of urgency nevertheless.

“Well, you don’t want to scar poor innocent Jack, do you?” Sam pleaded. Then before Dean could say anymore, he addressed Cas for the first time since they had returned to the bunker. “I’m very interested to know what happened after you left, Cas. You were supposed to follow Dean and find out what he was up to, and you come back as… boyfriends? I need to hear this story.”

Cas gave Sam a bashful smile, but before he could answer, Dean interrupted.

“We’ll tell you the whole story in minute detail… later. But I swear to chuck, you need to get the fuck out of here, or you might hear more than you want to.” He started pulling Cas in the direction of the communal showers, and Sam thankfully took the hint.

"Okay, okay. I know when I'm in the way." Sam walked towards the bedrooms, calling Jack's name loudly. A few seconds later he reappeared with a flustered and confused looking nephil. Sam was herding him over to the stairs at a brisk pace, but he managed to slow down enough to shoot Dean and Cas a look of approval and a thumbs up.

Dean flashed Jack a grin and held his hand up to indicate that he and Cas were holding hands, before Sam and Jack disappeared. 

"Alone at last," Dean said, turning to Cas. "Last one in the shower, naked, loses."

Cas raised an eyebrow. "Loses? What does the winner get?"

"Erm… they get to decide what we do when we-we," Dean floundered. What the hell was wrong with him? He'd had sex with more people than he could count, and now he couldn't even say it? It must have been something to do with the fact that this was Cas, the star of the majority of his sexual fantasies for longer than he could remember.

"Intercourse?" Cas asked helpfully. 

"Yes, that." They stood staring at each other, and Dean really wanted to kiss him again. Time for action. "Come on, you don't wanna lose, do you?"

Dean ran towards the showers, shedding items of clothing on the way. His flannel shirt and belt landed on the floor, but he couldn't remove anything else that wouldn't slow him down, until he got to the showers.

He could hear Cas close behind him, but didn't want to stop to see if he was doing the same. Yeah, this was pretty silly, but also really fun. 

He reached the showers and began to strip with a purpose, making a haphazard pile of boots and clothes in the corner. He could see Cas out of the corner of his eye, still fully clothed, watching him intently. _ What was he doing_? Dean was so going to win this race.

When he removed the last item - his boxers - Dean turned triumphantly to Cas, only to find the angel standing stark naked, and turning on one of the showers to heat the water. 

He turned to face Dean, and… fucking hell, what a magnificent sight. Where the hell had he been hiding that tanned, muscly body? “I believe you lost,” he said evenly.

_ Fucking angel mojo. Goddammit_. "Well, that's not fair," Dean sulked. "I can't just magically remove my clothes."

"I know," Cas said, his voice suddenly turning into a growl. "But I greatly enjoyed watching you undress." He licked his lips and raked his eyes over Dean's naked form.

_ Ohhh _ , _ holy crap _. Dean could feel his cock perking up, and he found he no longer cared who won. Not when Cas was looking at him with so much hunger in his eyes.

“I think we should both take our time undressing next time,” Dean suggested, walking over to stand under the spray, while fantasising about watching Cas stripping slowly for him. Yep, they were definitely doing that next time… _ next time_. What a wonderful thought.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Dean reached for a bottle of shampoo, put some in his hand, then worked it into his hair. He put his head under the water and washed it out, and when he opened his eyes, he found Cas inches from him, gazing in wonder.

“Dean,” he said breathlessly. “Watching you with water pouring down your body is very… it makes me feel very…” he trailed off, as he reached out his hand to tentatively run his fingers over Dean’s chest.

“There’s a reason the thing everyone remembers from the show of _ Pride and Prejudice _ is Mr Darcy in his wet shirt.” _ Shit_, did he just say that out loud? No one was supposed to know that Dean secretly loved chick flicks.

He shrugged at Cas’s puzzled expression, and shivered at the touch of his fingertips, but wasn’t given long to reflect on either as Cas surged forward to capture Dean’s lips with his own. He kissed Dean with a passion; his tongue demanding entrance to Dean’s mouth, while he pulled Dean into his strong arms. Their bodies were touching, chest to knees, and as the kiss deepened they tried to get closer still. Dean wound his arms around Cas’s back and ran one hand through that glorious mop of hair, while he slid the other downwards to Cas’s ass.

Dean ground his hips into Cas’s, and at the feeling of their erections rubbing against each other, Cas gasped into his mouth. He broke off the kiss and gazed into Dean’s eyes.

“Can we go to the bedroom now?” He asked.

“Well yeah. After all, you were the winner.” Dean stepped out of the shower and grabbed a couple of towels, while Cas switched the water off. He handed a towel to Cas, and rubbed his hair with the other.

Cas watched, mesmerised, until he could obviously stand it no longer, and grabbed hold of Dean for another kiss, pulling them together once more. They were both still wet, and the heat from their bodies caused a plume of steam to rise up.

The first thought that went through Dean’s mind was _ we’re smokin’ hot _, but this was quickly followed by a realisation that this was starting to feel a little gross. It was definitely time to move this action to the bedroom.

Breaking off the kiss, Dean lifted the towel he was still holding and dried off every part of Cas he could reach - including his cock, which earned him a sigh of satisfaction - before doing the same thing to himself. When he felt they were dry enough, he took Cas’s hand and led them towards the bedrooms, anticipation building in his gut, and his nerves practically tingling. Dean ignored his discarded clothing for now; he had every intention of retrieving them later, although he suddenly wondered where Cas had zapped his own clothes to. He made a mental note to ask afterwards. 

_ Afterwards_. What a strange thought, and what an unexpected turn this day had taken.

As they walked through the bunker stark naked, Dean was struck by how weird this felt. If Sam saw this there wouldn’t be enough brain bleach in the world, and yet… they wouldn’t be doing any of this if Sam was anywhere in the vicinity. There was also a part of him that really liked how freeing it was letting it all hang out. He wasn’t about to start getting in touch with his feelings, or any of that hippie crap, but he couldn’t deny that this felt good.

Dean was shaken out of his musings when Cas leaned into him and whispered in his ear, “I have wanted to do this with you for a very long time.”

Dean decided that the only proper response to that was to push Cas up against the wall and kiss the daylights out of him, even though they had almost reached his bedroom. Some things just couldn’t wait. He tried not to grind his body into Cas’s too much; he didn’t want to get hot and sweaty too soon.

After they had kissed themselves breathless, Dean pulled back slightly, and ran his thumb over Cas’s lips. Those lips he had imagined kissing so many times. “If you knew how long I’ve thought about this, Cas. I can’t-”

Cas obviously felt that they had delayed the main event for quite long enough; he gently pushed Dean off him, took hold of his hand, and said “bed,” with a firmness that brooked no argument. Not that Dean was going to argue… not even a little.

Once they were inside the bedroom, Dean closed the door, and Cas flashed him a happy smile.

“This will be much more comfortable,” he said, tugging Dean over to the bed.

An odd thought hit Dean then; how did Cas know that Dean’s bed was comfortable? Had he lain on Dean’s bed when he wasn’t there? He found that he quite liked that idea, but now was not really the right moment to ask. He would store that question away for later, along with the whereabouts of Cas's clothes. 

As if a switch had been flipped, Cas was suddenly all over him; hands and mouth exploring his body with intent. They were standing next to the bed when Dean was hit with this onslaught of… devotion? Worship? It certainly felt like that, as Cas’s hands caressed his chest and his back, while his lips kissed his neck, collar bone, and nipples. Cas’s tongue flicked the little bud and Dean gasped.

Cas manoeuvred them so that he could sit down on the edge of the bed, while Dean stayed standing. Dean watched mesmerised as Cas continued his exploration of Dean’s body, working his way ever lower until his mouth was level with Dean’s cock. He looked up at Dean through his eyelashes with the most innocent of expressions, as he ran his hands up and down Dean’s thighs, then in one swift move, took almost all of Dean’s length into his mouth.

_ Oh, holy fuck_. Dean moaned loudly and trembled all over as Cas alternated working his tongue around the head, and bobbing his head backwards and forwards as his mouth sucked along the shaft. 

Dean put his hands on Cas’s head, and clutched at his hair helplessly as he felt his orgasm building. He didn’t really want to come this quickly, but those things Cas was doing with his tongue meant it was going to be over all too soon. 

“Cas, I… fuck, I’m gonna come if you don’t stop.” Dean wasn’t at all sure if he wanted Cas to stop or carry on; this awesome blowjob had addled his brain.

Thankfully, Cas decided for him, and sucked harder, until Dean shot his load into Cas’s mouth, groaning and pulling roughly on his hair as his orgasm ripped through him. 

When Dean was spent, Cas pulled off him, and Dean gazed down at the angel in awe. Was this even real? He really hoped this wasn’t some Djinn induced dream, where he got to have ridiculously hot sex with the angel he had been fantasising about for the longest time, _ and _got a pet cat as well.

He wasn’t going to worry about it though. Real or not, he was going to return the favour with Cas, and then some. He walked around Cas and climbed onto the bed, then lay on his back and held out his hand.

“C’mere angel,” he said in the sultriest voice he could manage.

Cas crawled across the bed, and draped his body over Dean’s, kissing him fiercely as he ground his as yet neglected erection against Dean’s groin. He was obviously in need of some relief, and he moaned into Dean’s mouth at the friction.

Dean flipped them suddenly, and hovered over Cas, grinning at the surprise on his face. “Hey Cas, as the winner, you get to choose what we do next. I can blow you, like you did to me, or we can go all the way to fifth base.”

As expected, Cas shot Dean a questioning look, and Dean elaborated, “sex. You can fuck me if you want, or… I could even fuck you. Hell, we could even try it both ways. I’ve got enough condoms and lube.”

Cas lifted his head and caught Dean’s bottom lip between his teeth. Dean gasped and ground into Cas; he could feel himself getting hard again.

Cas let go of his lip and moaned. “I-I would like to fuck you.”

“Awesome,” Dean grinned. “You want me on top or…?”

“Less words, more mouth,” was Cas's response, in his most commanding tone. 

_ Well, okay then_. Dean reached over to his dresser drawer and pulled out a bottle of lube and a strip of condoms. 

“We have no need of them,” Cas said, eyeing the condoms. “Angels do not get sick.”

“Apart from cat allergies,” Dean pointed out.

“Cat allergies aside, we do not get sick,” Cas frowned.

Dean didn’t need to be told twice, and he threw the condoms who knew where, before placing the bottle on the bed and running his hands over Cas’s chest and abdomen. Dean had always found him sexy, but like this… _ dear god, _his hair was completely fucked up where Dean had been pulling it, and his lips looked even plumper than usual. Probably because of all the kissing… and the fact that he’d very recently had them wrapped around Dean’s dick.

Dean toyed with Cas’s nipples, making him hiss, and arch his back off the bed.

“You like that, don’t ya?”

“Y-yes,” Cas gritted out, as Dean lifted his hand to his mouth, licked his thumb, and brought it back to Cas’s nipple. 

“Ohhh, fuck.” Cas writhed underneath him, and Dean leaned down to replace the other thumb with his tongue.

Dean grazed the nub with his teeth and swirled his tongue around it, while Cas fell apart under his touch.

It was obvious that Cas had known what he was doing when he gave Dean that blow job, but the way he was reacting to Dean’s touch told him that he hadn’t actually experienced it himself. Or at the very least, he hadn’t been on the receiving end before. Dean was going to make sure Cas didn’t forget this, and hopefully ensure he wouldn’t want to try it with anyone else either.

He raised his head from Cas’s chest, and planted a kiss on his lips. “That felt good, huh?”

Cas nodded; it appeared that his brain had been addled too. _ Just wait til we get to the actual sex _.

“Gonna need to prep myself,” Dean said, picking the bottle up from the bed, opening it, and pouring a generous amount of lube onto his fingers. 

As he reached behind himself and worked the first finger in, he glanced down to Cas’s cock. “I might need more than four fingers,” he joked, letting out a laugh, which turned into a moan. This felt good, but he couldn’t wait to feel Cas inside him. 

Dean had fooled around with a couple of guys when he was younger, but he’d never had a dick in his ass; the furthest he had ever gone was fingering. But now, with Cas, he wanted to try it all.

“Dean,” Cas growled. His breathing was becoming heavier as he watched the show Dean was giving him, and he began lazily stroking himself.

_ Oh yeah, that’s a sight for sore eyes_, Dean thought, as he added another finger. The only sound in the room was their increasingly laboured breathing, as the air became thick with anticipation.

"A-are you nearly ready?" Cas stopped stroking himself, to ask hopefully. 

"One more finger," Dean responded. He wasn't going to go as far as four, but he definitely needed three.

"I have fingers," Cas offered.

That statement was undeniably true. "Yeah, okay. Push it in next to mine."

Cas reached between Dean's legs and did as Dean instructed. Having a digit that wasn't his alongside his own felt strange, but not in a bad way. Especially not when Cas wiggled it slightly. 

"Oh fuck, that feels… fuck," Dean panted.

Cas stared up at him wide-eyed, and did it again, watching for his reaction. Okay, he was definitely going to come again if they carried on like this. 

"Cas, we can… _ fuck_!" Dean shouted as Cas's finger brushed his prostate.

Luckily, Cas seemed to understand what Dean had been trying to say, and withdrew his finger. Dean pulled his own out too, and with barely a moment's hesitation, he snatched up the bottle of lube once more and poured some into his hand. He used this to slick up Cas's cock, as Cas closed his eyes and reveled in the sensations, then he put some around his hole. Then he ever so slowly lowered himself down, until the tip of Castiel’s cock had slipped past the first ring of muscle.

Dean could tell that Cas was holding back; he felt how much the angel was stopping himself from thrusting upwards. He appreciated that Cas didn’t want to hurt him, but he wanted to feel more of him, so he pushed down carefully until Cas was fully seated inside him.

“Dean, this feels amazing,” Cas groaned out, grabbing hold of Dean’s hips and giving a little thrust.

Dean had never felt anything like it. Planting his hands either side of Cas’s head, he lifted up, then lowered himself down again. 

“Shit,” Cas exclaimed.

Dean repeated the action a few more times, each time faster than the last. Cas’s hold on his hips became firmer, and he started thrusting up to meet Dean’s downwards movements. The feeling was incredible, and even though Dean had already come not an hour ago, he could feel his second climax building, especially when Cas’s dick hit his prostate. He took hold of his cock and started jerking it in rhythm with Cas’s thrusts, and Cas gasped.

“You look amazing like that, Dean,” he said, as he fucked into him harder. 

“S-so do you. You look even sexier than I imagined.”

“You imagined this?” Cas looked surprised to hear this.

“Well, yeah. Y-you’re fucking sex on legs.” Dean was almost there, and he could tell Cas was too.

“Deannnnnnn,” Cas gritted out, and Dean felt the angel’s cock pulsing as he came. 

Dean followed moments later; his come painting Cas’s chest as it spilled over his hand. His walls clenched around Cas’s dick, squeezing the last drops of Cas’s semen out of him, then Dean collapsed, panting, onto Cas. Their lips found each other’s once more, and they kissed tenderly, until Dean started to feel uncomfortable.

Quite apart from the slight - but not unpleasant - burn in his ass, Dean was covered in a sheen of sweat, and his come was splattered over the part of Cas that was currently squished against him. Dean noted that Cas wasn't sweating; clearly he hadn't been exaggerating when he told Mick Davies that he didn't 'sweat under any circumstances'. And Dean had just thought that Cas had been playing hard to get. 

Dean pulled back and gazed down at Cas. He had a blissed out, faraway look on his face, and he smiled contentedly at Dean.

"I have no words," he said, weakly. 

"That good, huh?"

"Better." Cas lifted his head and kissed Dean again. 

Cas's softened cock had slipped out of Dean by now, and he was starting to feel pretty disgusting. 

"Not sure if I can walk," Dean said, breaking off the kiss, "but we need another shower. Last one there is the loser?"

Cas chuckled, flipped them on the bed, then lifted Dean as if he weighed nothing. They were plastered together, chest to chest, and Dean instinctively wrapped his arms around Cas’s back, and his legs around Cas's waist, as Cas strode purposefully in the direction of the showers.

Cas stepped over to the shower they had vacated earlier and turned the water on. He kept hold of Dean, and walked them both under the spray as soon as it was hot enough, rinsing away the sweat, semen, and lube from their bodies. Only when he realised that he needed to wash their chests too did he let Dean down, but he stayed close, picking up the shower gel and soaping Dean all over.

“Hey Cas, why didn’t you just use your grace to clean us up?”

Cas gave a little smile and a shrug. “Because I like this… being with you like this.

“Yeah, I get that.” Dean smiled back, and put some of the lather on Cas. This was nice… no it wasn’t, it was fucking awesome.

“What we did,” Cas started, his smile turning into a frown. “I thought that’s what you were doing with Carly, and I didn’t like it. It made me sad.”

_ Jealous as fuck, more like_, Dean thought. “But I’ve hooked up with people before. You didn’t seem upset.”

“I never liked it,” Cas replied, switching the water off now that they were completely washed and rinsed off, and grabbing a couple of towels. “But those hookups were always one-offs. This felt like you were serious.”

“Damn, I never thought of it like that. But you’ve got nothing to worry about with Carly, I promise.”

“But you said she offered herself to you.”

“Yeah, but I ain’t gonna take that offer. Why would I when I have you?” Dean waggled his eyebrows suggestively, took Cas’s hand, and they made their way back toward the bedrooms once more, collecting Dean’s clothes along the way.

Cas was quiet, obviously still worrying about Carly. An idea struck Dean then; one that would hopefully put Cas’s mind at ease. They reached Dean’s bedroom, and Dean closed the door once they were inside. “Come with me tomorrow.” He turned to Cas, and spoke earnestly.

“To Carly’s?”

“Yeah. You’ll see that there’s nothing to worry about. It’s all about the cat.” Dean led Cas over to the bed and they laid down facing each other.

“The cat will be there.” Cas’s face fell. 

Dean cupped Cas’s cheek and rubbed his thumb over those sweet lips. “Of course he will. But he’s really sweet - you’re gonna love him.”

“And if he scratches me I will swell up again. And even if he doesn’t, I won’t be able to stop sneezing.” Cas threw his leg over Dean’s and pulled him closer, then began stroking Dean’s back.

“We’ll find you some protection. A mask… gloves… it’ll be fine.” Dean could feel himself starting to drift off to sleep, and he snuggled into Cas’s chest and closed his eyes. The last thing he registered before he was fully under was Cas kissing the top of his head.


	4. Chapter 4

When Dean awoke Cas was gone. A glance at the clock told him that it was 8.43 am - he had slept for almost fourteen hours. _ What the hell_? Dean never slept that long; it must have been all that amazing sex.

He pulled on some underwear, a t-shirt, and his dead man’s robe, then went in search of his angel and some coffee. After a stop at the bathroom to pee and brush his teeth, he took himself to the kitchen. There was a faint smell of coffee wafting from that direction, as if it had been made some time ago.

Rounding the corner to the top of the kitchen steps, Dean discovered Cas and Jack sitting at the table. Cas was holding a cup of coffee, and Jack was eating a bowl of cereal.

“Hello Dean,” Cas said shyly. They hadn’t discussed public displays of affection, and Cas clearly didn’t know what he should do next. 

Dean strode over to him, bent forward and gave him a swift kiss on the lips. “Morning sunshine,” he said, pulling away and gazing at him with affection.

Cas lifted his hand and brushed Dean’s arm. “I didn’t want to wake you. I hope you don’t-”

“Don’t worry about it. That’s the best sleep I’ve had in… well, forever.” 

Cas smiled at him, got to his feet and went over to the coffee machine. “I will make you some coffee.”

“Thanks man, I appreciate it.” Dean opened the fridge and rummaged around. He found a pack of bacon and a box of eggs. “I’m starving,” he declared, going over to the stove and heating a pan before throwing a few rashers of bacon and two of the eggs into it.

Cas came up behind him and rested his chin on his shoulder. “I wore you out,” he stated, dryly.

“Yeah, but it was fucking awesome though, wasn’t it?” Dean turned his head and kissed Cas on the nose.

“It was,” Cas grinned and nodded. “I have something to show you,” he added.

“Not in front of Jack,” Dean teased, and Cas laughed. Dean loved that sound, and he resolved to make Cas laugh every chance he got.

“Wait here,” Cas said, leaving the kitchen quickly.

Dean finished cooking his food, put it on a plate with a couple of slices of bread, and joined Jack at the table. He was too hungry to chat, and he immediately dug into the bacon. _ Oh yeah, protein_. He stopped eating for a moment when Cas returned though; the angel was barely visible, as he was wearing what looked like a beekeeper’s suit.

“Very nice. You gonna start keeping bees, Cas?”

“No. Well… I might. But this is to protect me when visiting your cat.”

Dean stared open-mouthed as Cas’s words registered. “He’s not gonna sting you.”

“I know that, Dean. But I have to take precautions against possible scratches.”

Jack had been watching them intently, and he picked that moment to interject. “I believe you will be perfectly protected.”

“Protected against what,” Sam asked as he joined them in the kitchen, but upon seeing Cas, he added, “never mind. The answer is obviously bees.”

“A cat,” Cas corrected.

“Excuse me? Why do you need this to protect you from a cat? And, for that matter, whose cat are we talking about?” 

_ Oh, of course. Sam knows nothing about Solo, or Carly_, Dean thought. “Grab yourself a coffee, and sit down. It’s a long story. And Cas, take that… helmet off.”

~~~

By the time Dean and Cas had explained the entire story, Sam had run through a whole series of reactions. Irritation, annoyance, regret, sadness, delight, and some guilt too, at his part in Dean’s unhappy childhood. Jack was just excited at the prospect of maybe getting to meet Solo, although he couldn’t conceal his disappointment when he realised that there was no way he could come to live in the bunker with them.

“Just so you know, none of it was your fault.” Dean directed his words towards Sam. “Not your fault you ran away because you wanted something normal for once, and definitely not your fault that dad blamed me. He was so scared something bad had happened to you, but he didn’t know how to express it. So… he did the only thing he could think of.”

Sam got to his feet and pulled Dean into a hug. “I’m so sorry Dean. You never deserved all the shit you had to deal with.”

“It’s okay Sammy,” Dean said, as he became aware that Cas was now hugging him too. He could see that it was a bit awkward with the suit on, but he was giving it a damn good try. Just as Dean was about to pull away from the hug, Jack joined in, throwing his arms around all three of them with a happy smile on his face.

“Alright, alright, break it up.” Dean squirmed, trying to extricate himself from the huddle. “Guys, c’mon,” he complained as they squeezed him harder.

Eventually, they released Dean, laughing and patting him on the back as they did so. 

“So, Cas. The beekeeper’s suit is for protection against the cat?” Sam asked, for confirmation.

“Yes. I do not want to get sick again.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that, Cas.” Sam looked like he was stifling a laugh. “While you’re gone I’ll call Rowena, and ask if she knows any spells that might cure your allergy.”

“That’d be great,” Dean thanked his brother, then said to Cas, “Okay, we might as well get going. You’re gonna love Solo, I know it.”

“Wait!” Sam said, stopping them both in their tracks. “The cat’s name is Solo?”

“Yes,” Dean replied.

“So, the folder on your laptop isn’t porn? It’s pictures of your cat?”

“Yep.”

“No wonder you didn’t want anyone to see them.” Sam shook his head. “It all makes sense now.”

“Can I look at the pictures?” Jack asked, expectantly.

“Sure. Just don’t open any other folders, okay?” Dean said, before shooting Sam a look that said keep an eye on him.

Sam responded with an eye roll, and Dean shrugged. _ What _? Just because the Solo folder wasn’t porn, didn’t mean he didn’t have a shit ton of it saved elsewhere.

~~~

As they walked into the bar, Dean wondered what the hell Carly was going to make of Cas. She didn’t even know Cas was coming, let alone that he was dressed like some kind of fucked up astronaut.

Bob did a double take, before nodding at them to go through to the back. “We got a bee problem?” He asked.

“No. It’s… never mind,” Dean said, vaguely, going through the door with Cas following closely, before Bob could ask any more questions.

“Carly?” Dean called out. “Anyone home?” Carly came down from upstairs, with Solo cradled in her arms.

“Dean,” she exclaimed, then stopped dead in her tracks. “And… Castiel?” She asked, hesitantly.

“Yes,” Castiel replied, his voice a little muffled under the helmet.

“What… why are you dressed like that?” 

Dean felt Cas tensing up when Carly came the rest of the way down the stairs. “He’s super allergic to cats, but he wanted to meet Solo. Hence…” Dean gestured to all of Cas with his hand.

Carly observed Cas silently for a moment, then she let out a burst of laughter that was so loud, Solo jumped out of her arms and ran behind the sofa.

Dean wanted to laugh too, but one look at Cas’s face told him that Cas wouldn’t be too pleased. Plus, it wouldn’t be very nice to make fun of his… boyfriend?... would it?

“My potentially deadly allergy is not funny,” Cas growled, and Carly instantly stopped laughing.

“I’m sorry Castiel. I shouldn’t have…” she looked at Dean with a grimace. “You boys want coffee?”

“Thanks,” Dean replied, happy to see Carly retreating to the kitchen. He was about to pick Solo up, but the cat had walked over to Cas and was rubbing himself against his leg. 

Cas was standing stock still, and there was an expression of terror on his face.

“He likes you,” Dean said, picking Solo up, and snuggling him, much to Cas’s obvious distaste.

“How can you tell?” Cas asked.

“He rubbed against your leg. Cats won’t do that to just anyone.” Dean wasn’t actually certain that was true, but he thought it sounded plausible enough.

“I see.” Cas moved a little closer and peered at Solo curiously. Dean could just about see his expression through the helmet’s veil.

“He’s cute, isn’t he?” 

Solo chose that moment to rub his head against Dean’s chest and purr loudly. As always, Dean found that move completely irresistible, and he petted him on the head and under the chin.

“He is… not evil,” Cas said as Solo jumped from Dean’s arms and rubbed against Cas’s legs again.

Carly reappeared with two cups of coffee and a huge smile on her face. “Awww. Now that’s just adorable.”

“I believe he likes me,” Castiel replied, as he began to visibly relax.

“Well, of course he does. What’s not to like?” Carly placed the coffees on the table and winked at Cas, causing Dean to experience a wave of jealousy, even though she didn’t have a chance in hell with his angel.

Dean shifted so that he was standing shoulder to shoulder with Cas, then rested his hand on his arm. He hoped the gesture didn’t come off as possessive, but he wanted Carly to get the hint.

Cas turned his head and shot Dean a radiant smile; one that turned Dean’s insides to jelly. Suddenly everything else melted away, and it was just the two of them, staring at each other with sappy grins on their faces - even through the veil on Cas’s helmet.

“Oh my god, that’s even more adorable than Solo showing he likes you,” Carly exclaimed delightedly. Then, in an almost predatory manner, she added, “I don’t suppose you fellas would be interested in a th-”

_ Oh hell, no_. Dean knew what Carly was going to suggest, and no fucking way was that happening.

“Okay,” Dean interrupted, clapping his hands together sharply. “Thanks for the coffee Carly.”

She seemed to take the hint, thank goodness, and with a slightly embarrassed look, she nodded her head and went through to the bar. 

Dean let out a breath of relief, and sat down heavily on the sofa. Cas came over and sat beside him, and Solo climbed onto Cas’s lap. Dean moved to take Solo away, but Cas put out his hand to stop him.

“I think it would be okay if he stayed here,” Cas said, and Dean’s heart felt full of happiness. 

“Awesome,” he whispered, and he leaned over to pet his cat.

“I’m beginning to see the appeal,” Cas said, as Solo curled up contentedly on his lap.

“Told ya.” Dean nudged Cas playfully.

~~~

Dean finally managed to drag Cas away about two hours later, with his phone full of photos of Cas and Solo. It gave him immense joy to see his angel and his cat bond so well - even with the protective suit Cas was wearing - although he was having concerns about spending so much time with Carly. Maybe Cas’s fears about her weren’t so far off the mark.

They were driving back in the direction of the bunker when Dean said, “so, Solo’s not so bad, huh?”

“I have to admit, I like him very much,” Cas replied, beaming from ear to ear.

“That makes me so happy, you don’t even know,” Dean admitted.

“I’m happy that you’re happy,” Cas teased.

“And I’m happy that you’re h-” Dean started, then shook his head and huffed a laugh. “That’s enough of that crap. I think… we might have a problem with Carly.”

“A problem?”

“Yeah. Remember I told you that she offered to… you know.” Dean pulled over, cut the engine, and turned in his seat to face Cas. He didn’t want to discuss this while driving.

“Intercourse?” Cas asked, with a frown.

“Yep, that. Well, seems she’s interested in you too. Or both of us… together.”

“Oh.” Cas didn’t look pleased. “But I do not want-”

“Right? Me neither.” Dean interrupted. “But spending time with Solo means seeing her every day. I don’t know what to do about it.” He sighed dramatically.

“Maybe we can move Solo into the bunker. I might not get sick.”

“I can’t believe you would suggest that, Cas. That you would put yourself in danger to make me happy. But no… we’re not risking it. No way.”

They sat in silence for a few moments, both lost in thought, until Cas spoke up. “We will think of something. And I will come with you to the bar, if you would like. We will show Carly that we belong to each other.”

“First of all, of course I would like. And second… good answer. I’ve never wanted to belong to anyone before, but you make me wanna do things differently.” Dean slid across the seat and climbed into Cas’s lap. He was still wearing the beekeeper’s suit, minus the helmet and gloves, but that didn’t hinder Dean. He found Cas’s lips with his own, and kissed him; pouring every ounce of feeling he had into it.

Cas kissed him back with a feverish passion; placing his hand on the back of Dean’s head and pulling him closer. They quickly lost themselves in each other, and it took at least another hour and a half before they arrived back home.

Thankfully, neither Sam nor Jack questioned why the inside of the car needed cleaning when they returned.

~~~

For the next week or so, Dean and Cas visited Solo every day at Carly’s place. She made no more advances towards them, but there was the occasional remark about their closeness, or how hot they looked together.

One morning Dean went to the kitchen to find Cas and coffee, but was ambushed by the former before reaching the kitchen.

“Dean, I believe I have found the solution.”

Dean was still half asleep and coffee deprived, and he couldn’t work out what Cas was talking about. “Solution to what?”

“The situation with Solo and Carly.”

_ Oh_. “Okay, hit me with it while I get myself some coffee, yeah?”

“Of course, I’m sorry. I know how essential coffee is to your morning routine.”

Cas marched ahead of Dean, and by the time he stumbled into the kitchen there was already a steaming hot mug on the table.

“Thanks buddy.” Dean took a sip, savouring the taste as he sat down.

“There is an animal shelter twenty miles away. They are looking for volunteers, so I contacted them on your behalf.”

“Okay. With you so far… I think.”

“If you help out three days a week they will take Solo. I explained that I have a serious allergy, but I left Carly out of the story.”

Dean stared at Cas in wonder. “That’s fucking genius,” he declared. “Carly’s not gonna like it though, she’s gotten really attached to him.”

“Maybe there will be another cat at the shelter, that could be rehomed with her?”

“I’m sure there will be,” Dean agreed, his heart full of joy. “I’m gonna get to spend all day with cute little animals. Then all night with my cute little boyfriend.”

“After you have showered,” Cas pointed out.

“Oh yes. We’re gonna need a lot of joint showers. Have I told you how much I love you?”

Cas leaned forward for the first of many kisses. “Not today. But please, tell me more.”


End file.
